Reporter Issue 33

Reporter Issue 33
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Issue Number: 33 Issue Date: 237608.03 Editor: Commander Leigha Jacobs
Reporter Archive Index

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Now, the part that you have all been eagerly anticipating and waiting for... Drum roll, please.... the illustrious "Note from the Editor." Yeah!

In all seriousness, this is where I pass along to you all a few words of Wisdom. First off, due to the fact that I am indeed a human being and Thus do occasionally make mistakes, I believe an apology is in order. In The last issue of the Reporter, I had listed Lieutenant Commander Adler Wong as promoted to the position of XO on the USS Nemesis. I was actually In err as Commander Sasha Ice actually holds that post. Again, my most Sincere apologies for the error.

Also, I would like to mention to everyone that any UFOP officer can Submit any news of note to the Reporter for publication. If you found A really cool Trek website you want to share with the group, or perhaps Have had a really exciting breakthrough in the way your character sims, Just let me know. Again, all submissions for the Reporter are welcome.

With that said, and without further adieu...on with the show.

II. WHERE NO ONE HAS GONE BEFORE...

1. Starbase 118 Statistics

-Duty Station Count

The United Federation of Planets is always expanding and this section keeps track of the total number of senior staff, who are associated with Starbase 118. (OOC - in other words the total number of UFOP members including the irc branch.)

Number of Duty Stations: 10

USS Caledonia USS Ranger-A

USS Hammond USS Ronin

USS Isannah USS Starwind

USS Kodiak USS Trinidad

USS Nemesis

Starbase 118

Note: We would like to welcome back Rear Admiral Brian Kelly. Admiral Kelly has been away on classified mission of late and has recently returned. The Admiral's ship, the U.S.S. Ranger-A, has been undergoing a massive refit during his absence and has just disembarked from its docking ring on the Starbase.

New additions to the UFOP are always welcome. So let's keep up our rapid growth by spreading the word about the best Star Trek RPG on the net!

2. Up and Coming Officers in Starfleet

Congratulations to the following officers on their promotions:

RANK PROMOTIONS:

LIEUTENANT COMMANDER

• Alucard, USS Isannah

LIEUTENANT

• Robert Whitney, USS Caledonia
• Jon-Luc Allaway, USS Isannah
• Jesa Callen, USS Isannah
• Jana Fields, USS Isannah
• Becknar Gear, USS Isannah
• Ethan Lysander, USS Isannah

LIEUTENANT, Junior Grade

• Anaya Talisan, USS Caledonia
• Viola Templar, USS Caledonia
• Grace Wong, USS Caledonia
• Alexander Bromely, USS Isannah
• Silk, USS Isannah

RANK POSITIONS:

• Valarious T'Eft McGregor--->XO, USS Caledonia
• Jake Sharp--->2nd/Deck Officer, USS Caledonia
• Allen O'Malley--- > CO, USS Hammond
• Niko Azarro--- > XO, USS Hammond
• Collin McHendry---> XO, USS Isannah

3. Starfleet News Service

THE REALITY OF THE REMEKINS

Report Author: Commander Leigha Jacobs

Report Source: USS Caledonia

After undergoing standard repairs at Starbase 118, the USS Caledonia was sent to investigate the planet of Remekin III. Located on the edge of the Beta Quadrant, the Remekins were a lone planet that wished to apply for Federation membership. The work on their application all but complete, Starfleet Command dispatched the Caledonia to make sure that a final check was in order. With orders simply to observe the Remekins and their society to determine if they were ready for full Federation membership, the mission was thought to be an easy one. However, it did not quite turn out that way.

En route to the Remekin sector, an unnamed crew member was found to have traces of the illegal narcotic Loran VI in their possession. Further examination lead authorities to believe that this medication had been planted on the suspect in an attempt to frame her. Meanwhile, the Caledonia arrived in the Remekin sector on time, along with a new addition to the senior staff. Given orders straight from the JAG office on SB 118, for as yet undisclosed reasons, Lieutenant Jake Sharp was assigned as a command observer for the Caledonia. Once the Caledonia arrived and achieved a standard orbit around the third planet in the system, all of the senior staff was invited to a banquet on the planet. Greeted by the leaders of the planet, Protectorate Martin and Protectress Sayla, the arrival of the Caledonia coincided with a local fertility festival. Not wishing to dishonor the local dignitaries, Commander Jacobs agreed to allow the majority of the senior staff to attend. Donning native ware, an away party beamed down to the planet. TAC officer Lieutenant Rachel Daninburg was left in command of the Caledonia.

After several incidents on the planet, including the apparent abduction of Lieutenant Commander Skye and the drugging of the entire away team with Loran 6, contact with the Caledonia was lost due to increasing radiation static. It was later revealed that Commander Jacobs and Lieutenant Sharp were accused of the murder of Protectorate Martin. At the same time, the Caledonia was caught in the wake of a natural shock wave emanating from the Remekin sun. Known as “The Blessing” by the Remekins, the wave produced effects on the natural inhabitants that seemed to increase their fertility. Unprepared for the wave, the Caledonia was crashed on a nearby moon called Junta. Seemingly in a shape beyond that of which could be salvaged, heavy causality were taken.

However, it was later revealed that the apparent experiences of the entire away team and the crew on the Caledonia were due to telepathic manipulations of the Remekin leaders, especially Protectoress Sayla. On the moon of Junta a rebel faction of Remekin youth were protesting the old ways of the Remekins. A natural superstitious and mystical society based heavily of a religion cloaked in mystery, drugs such as Loran 6 were used to maintain control of the population. But, the cost of this control was the loss of the telepathic powers that most Remekins were naturally born with. The youth protesting this had established a base on the moon of Junta as they tried to mount an offensive in protest of Sayla and the elders.

It was later discovered that the Remekin sun itself was home to a stargate of type. The secret that the Remekins had been protecting, it is still unclear what the stargate was. Speculation ranging from it being a wormhole to the equivalent of a Celestial Temple of the Remekin Gods abound. The Caledonia crew made its finally reports with the conclusion that the Remekins were not yet ready to join the Federation given the extent of their internal strife. Leaving them to their business, the Caledonia departed for Starbase 24 as the damage sustained in crashing on the moon Junta was not as bad a originally thought due to a mass hallucination inflected on the crew. The officers of the Caledonia are still unsure today just what exactly happened and did not while they existed in the reality of the Remekins.

OUT WITH THE OLD...

Report Author: Commander Allen O’Malley

Report Source: USS Hammond

The crew of the USS Indria-A sucessfully returned to 118. Commodore Marlin, while under the influence of an alien presence, is still unconscious and under the care of Starbase doctors. The crew of the Indria will transfer to the USS Hammond which will be commanded by Commander Allen O'Malley. During the return to 118, the SB acquired a distress signal from Daris Colony, which was supposedly uninhabited. Admiral Elinor is sending the Hammond and the Isannah to investigate.

CAPTAIN'S LOG

Report Author: Commander Torack Demma

Report Source: USS Nemesis

After having overseen the decommissioning of the USS Arizona, my crew and I were promptly assigned to the USS Nemesis. I can say that I was more than happy when I learned that I was to take over command of the Nemesis. This is truly the only ship that I can say I've ever called home. The Nemesis is to be attached to Starbase 118. I have a number of concerns though, first off, how will the former crew of the Nemesis, now the crew of the Starbase, and my crew react to being together so often. This is a question that will have to be answered at a later date however.

Once repairs had been completed to my CEO's satisfaction, we departed on our first assignment. We were to go in search of a missing Andorian Freighter in the vicinity of anomaly pi-32. We departed, the Starbase and quickly picked up on the missing freighter's trail. Once we got to the anomaly however, something went very wrong and we were sucked into a space-time anomaly.

From the scans that my crew has conducted we have traveled back in time over a hundred years. Once we got our bearings straight, we were promptly hailed by a Federation ship. Before I could make a final decision as to if I should answer the hail, it was destroyed by a cloaked Klingon fleet. Needless to say, the Klingon attitude towards the Federation at this time wasn't one of admiration. Against the protests of my second officer, I have decided to contact the Klingons and try to get them to call off their attack. May Kahlass guide me in my decisions.

THE MYSTERIES OF THE VERONA

Report Author: Lieutenant Commander Mike James

Report Source: USS Ronin

After having recently been involved in the William Portal/Frank debacle on Starbase 118 with the crew of the USS Isannah, the USS Ronin underwent repairs whilst en-route to the planet Verona. The citizens of that planet has applied to the Federation for membership. With the current status of the Federation, the council felt it was in our interests to ensure that Verona was successfully entered into status. Underneath the surface though, there's is something not quite right with the whole deal...

THE RODGUARD COMET AND MORE...

Report Author: Lieutenant jg Callim Denari

Report Source: USS Starwind

In order to prove to the crew of the Starwind, the CSS Frontier has escorted them to Earth. They are horrified to discover Captain Adora's claims about human life on Earth being destroyed over 2 millennia ago. Earth in this alternate time was apparently destroyed by some type of alien fungus which covers the entire planet. Oddly, the fungus covering the Earth has a slight temporal instability to it.

Commander L-7 theorizes that ordinarily, this temporal instability effect is minimal; however, a second instability (possibly the Rodgrod Comet) could cause a greater effect. The two play off each other... this region has always been fraught with temporal instabilities... although that would be unnecessary, as there is enough fungus to create a large effect on its own. The Kepler had aboard it a small supply of the fungus -- enough to create a slight effect on the crew. Add to that the enhancing effect of Rodgrod itself -- and potentially a temporal instability in its own structure and the accompanying intelligence. The two attracted each other. All that would have been sufficiently dangerous -- but there is a third factor as well. L-7's own craft -- the StarDart Junior -- was capable of creating, enhancing and sealing multiple sorts of temporal anomalies. By its very nature, it was slightly temporally unstable --but well controlled, of course.

However, the Rodgrod caused an instability in L-7's neural network and may have had the same affect on the StarDart's main computer, Cera... add to that the instabilities produced by the fungus and the comet... and there could be a prime opportunity for an unplanned temporal incursion. Most likely that the fungus was the cause of the planets destruction. It is therefore likely that it was carried back by either the StarDart or Rodgrod. L-7 does not believe it was the StarDart, as Cera should have been able to detect the spores. That narrows the possibility down to the fungus being a native occupant of the comet, resurfacing after the impact; or the Rodgrod Intelligence obtaining it from the Kepler before the incursion.

Now, the Starwind crew must find a way to undo what has been done... meaning somehow travel back in time to stop the destruction of Earth... a task that will not set well with the crew of the CSS Frontier as it will mean their own time-line's destruction.

4. Starfleet Focus

Have you ever wondered about those funny names that appear listed as apart of UFOP's High Council? Did you know that Ciara Randor was not born in our universe? Or perhaps were you unaware that Admiral Elinor has a half sister who was once a commanding officer of a ship in UFOP? Well, in case the answer to that is no, then this article is just the thing for you.

The members of the High Council are all experienced simmers who have been with UFOP for sometime. However, long before any of them were commanding starships of giving orders to people, they were regular officers just like everyone else...in fact, they still are. So read on if you are curious and learn more about this month's featured officer, Admiral Brian Kelly, and see what he has to say about himself and simming in general....

"The Man Behind the Myth: Brian Kelly"

Brian Kelly, Personal Log. Stardate 9906.15.

I was asked today for a short introduction they could read at the Academy graduation this year. They felt since the war was over and the overall threat level was at its lowest point in two decades it would be interesting to have the perspective of...what did the Commandant call me? A holdover. Great. Mid forties and I'm already a relic. Now I know how Jim Kirk felt.

Born to a large New Celtic family in Brooklyn, New York, Earth. Dad was a welder with a terraforming company, mom was a homemaker. Three sisters, one a captain in the marine corps, one an exobiologist researcher, and the last, an artist, married to Anna with their kids on Denier III. Younger brother is a barrister.

I joined the service at 18 mostly because the family was tearing itself apart over Karen's marriage to Anna; I, Sean and Fiona supported it, the others and mom and dad, did not. After I lost my wife Maureen, though, life was difficult. I questioned why I kept going, I became hard, almost soulless. Elinor was the only person who knew me well enough to keep me human; which is ironic, though I don't know that she'd willing to admit it.

I spent some good years in the corps, and from there I applied for and was accepted to SEAL school at Camp New Legune, Mars. From there I ended up in special ops, and most of my record is sealed for several years. Then when I transferred over to fleet I ended up with Fleet Captain Elinor when she commanded CENTRIS as her XO. And from there, I got RANGER when they bumped me the last pip on the shirt.

That was where I met Commander Alis Hege-Kelly, who gave me Corrine, the two loves of my life.

And so I've been a lucky man. I've been decorated several times; the James Kirk Cross, the Andorian Battle Star, but the salad bar isn't why I've been lucky. I've been privileged to serve with some of the finest officers and crew any commander could wish for; so many have gone on to command that I sometimes feel like a one man academy. And Alis has made me feel...young again.

And somehow, I've managed to avoid the fate of Elinor and Wolf, and stay in command of RANGER-A despite being a Senior Commodore. She weathered the war well, and has herself served with honor in an honored fleet.

OOC Tip:

Enough is often said about "staying real" and "developing your character's personal life and issues" so I won't harp on that. Instead, I want to remind all of you that ST is science fiction, and the science looses all its credibility if consistency is lost. So remember NOT to use techno-babble as an excuse to solve every problem. Sometimes, the solution should be either unattainable, or found elsewhere. Even ST technology has its limitations. Also, remember the details, so often lost, even now, by Paramount's writers. Federation space is 65,000 light years across. At warp 9, it'd take 60 years or so to cross it. So remember that most ships never leave certain regions of Federation space, and that certain member and candidate races will never visit Earth, will never enter the academy, not until we have transwarp drive. Remember to stay true to the science, even the science of political structure within the Federation, and your simming will have more credibility.

5. The Best and the Brightest

This edition focuses on Lieutenant junior Grade Ozurid Degoth, a Telarynian male. Lieutenant jg Ozurid is currently serving as Mission Specialist aboard the Prometheus class USS Caledonia under Commander Leigha Jacobs.

JACOBS- Lieutenant jg Ozurid, why did you initially choose a career in Starfleet?

OZURID- Well it was at the request of my father and uncle. They wanted a better life for me then being subjected to the xenophobia and maliciousness that my race had endured since our arrival on Geries 5.

JACOBS- You are a Telarynian by birth are you not?

OZURID- I was born a Telaryian.

JACOBS- Can you tell me a little bit about your species?

OZURID- Well, I don't know too much because I wasn't able to attend a school on my home planet because we Immigrated when I was 4. But, I will tell the little that I know.

We used to be a warmongering race divided into 5 sects, each fighting to control the other. Truces were hardly made and easily broken. One sect had a geneticist and found a way to mutate the skin into a thick scaly hide hoping to give his sect an advantage by making them less likely to be injured by the weapons of the other sects. Unfortunately, it worked and his sect conquered everyone. But, the good news is that what they discovered was that there was no one left to fight. Thus, they became farmers. The bad news was the mating pool had been reduced to one fifth its size before the war. That is how we got our short tempers and jealous nature.

JACOBS- What are your future plans in regards to your Starfleet career?

OZURID- Well, if I can get my anger under control I would like shoot for Lieutenant Commander and maybe be go back to Engineering. The is always something to do. You don't have to listen to people complain about aches and pain or find some project to do while waiting for the next disaster or accident to happen like I did when I was ACMO for the Daris 2 colony. I did have a cool house though and not a cabin, but life on a starship is give and take. Hey, you can travel to exotic places without leaving home.

Also, the Crew on the Caledonia is cool....especially Lt Cmdr Valarious McGregor. She is a goddess of beauty, mostly friendly.... sometimes feisty. Fire dances in her eyes, and she slips into her native Scottish brogue when she is angry. That makes her even more beautiful. I like strong females. The Lt Cmdr is a tough nut to crack, but I am pretty sure there is a soft and passionate female inside under that tough Romulan exterior.

I get along with most of the crew. Lt jg Anaya Talisan keeps things light and the ones I don't get along with well ........ let's just say I try to watch my step.

JACOBS- Who or what would you consider to be the biggest influence on your life right now?

OZURID- Well, trying to appeal to Valarious.... I think that takes up most of my time. However, Commander Jacobs recently gave me a new job assignment, and I want to do a good job for her.

JACOBS- Can you tell me about this new job and what it entails?

OZURID- I am the Caledonia's new mission specialist. I am not sure what I do thought....don't know too much about it. Lt Cmdr Valarious gave be some possible duties that it might include, but she said Lt Cmdr Skye would know more about it......that I should talk to her. Commander Jacobs said for me to keep my eyes open always.

JACOBS- A good piece of advice for any officer to follow, I think. Now, as our time draws to a close, in closing, what five words would you use to describe your personality?

OZURID- A short fuse of dynamite.

JACOBS- ::chuckling:: Well, let's just hope you don't boom anytime soon. Take care, Lieutenant Ozurid, and safe journeys.

IV. EX POST FACTO

1. Off Duty----Out of Character information of interest

1.) Admiral Elinor's Leave of Absence

Admiral Elinor is currently on a leave of absence, and is away from her internet connection. Thus, she will not be answering any email sent to her for an unknown period of time. Questions, or inquiries that would normally be submitted to her, may be directed to Commodore Ciara Randor

2.) Website Information

Make sure to check out UFOP's website, if you haven't already! http://www.galaxycorp.com/ufop http://welcome.to/ufop

Stop by the site frequently to see the new updates.

3.) Graphics

Those members who have created any Star Trek related graphics should send them to Admiral Wolf for review, and possibly posting on the website's GALLERY area.

4.) Don't forget to vote!

The UFOP homepage website has been nominated to win Admiral's Choice Award, presented by Steve's Trek Page http://soli.inav.net/~nibblink/trek.htm This is a polling based award so please stop by and vote for us.

2. Featured Star Trek Website of the Month

Starfleet Download Databank

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Amjad_Majeed/genart.htm

Need a midi file of a certain Star Trek theme for your webpage? Or perhaps do you wish to spice up you computer with some cool Star Trek fonts? This is a great place to visit for this and more. Many items are available to download in easy zip files so you have many unique Star Trek sounds, images, and computer files to help enhance your own internet experience.

CREDITS

• Comments/Submissions for the Reporter (all are welcome): Send email to Commander Leigha Jacobs